Convertible trunk



G. H. WHEARY.

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK.

APPucATaoN FILED AuG.10.19|s.

1 ,314 Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

ATTUFINYE'.

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GEORGE 'HENRY WHEARY, OF RACINE,E WISCONSIN.-

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK.

Specificationy of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2,1919.

Application led August 107 1916. Serial No. 114,125.

To all whom t may concern.'

Bewit `known .that I, Grenen HENRY VHEARY, a citizen` of the United States, and resident of Racine, in thecounty of Racine and State of 1Wisconsin, have invented new and` useful `Improvements yin Convertible Trunks, of which the following isa description,ireferencerbeing Vhad to the accompanying drawings, whichl are a part of this speciiication.

The inventionrelates to improvements in convertible trunks.

In wardrobe trunksthe body portion ,of the.trnnk is usually divided into two sections vertical-1y and one of these sections is provided with drawers forholding various articles of apparel. One or two of the drawers are `usually used for .holding hatsand ashats vary insizeAtoa large` extent it is very difficult if not `impossible practically, to provide asingle drawer which will accommodate the various sizes of hats.

It islone of the objects ofthe present invention .to overcome the` before mentioned objectionable features and` provide a convertible trunlcin which the drawers are so construetedthat one may be inverted` and combined with the drawer below to form a hatcase of the size of both drawers combined.

A further object of the invention is to providea convertible trunk having a plurality of drawers which may be combined to form `one case, ormay be used independently as single drawers.

A further. object of the invention is to provide a convertible trunk in which the front portion of one of the convertible drawers is detachably connected to` the drawer to permit convenient access to both drawers when combined together.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved convertible, trunk and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of theviews:

Figure 1 is a front view of the drawer section of a wardrobe trunk provided with the improved convertible feature, the trunk being shown in open position and the wardrobe section and the top cover being indicatedby dotted lines;

Fig. `2 `isa vertical sectional viewthereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, a portion of the convertibledrawer being indicated in partly open position by dotted lines;.

Fig, 3 is a vertical sectional view similar,A

ment 13 to receive the improved convertible hat case Yor drawer 14; and drawers, 15` and 15. The convertible hat case or drawer is open at its top `and while preferably positioned directly abovefthe lowermost drawer may be positioned, in connection `with. a coacting lower drawer, at any point desired. Thesaid convertible drawer issupported on angle ways 16 fastened tothe side walls of the `compartment andwhen used as an ordinary drawer isfree to be withdrawn from the compartment. The front wall 17 of the casingl 14 is detachably connected to the casing. proper by angular side edge plates 1S and a spring actuated bolt member 19, car-` ried bythe wall. The angular, side edge plates 18 are fastened to the innerl side of the front wall adjacent its side 4edges and extend outwardly approximately, the thickness of the wall and then extends atriglit angles as indicated byythe, numeral 20 to overlap the front side edges of the drawer and limit the inward movement of said front wall.

The `forward side and bottom edge portions of the convertible drawer lll arel reinforced by angular guide strips Q1 which also serve to guide and maintain thedrawer centrally within the compartment. Thebottom portion 22 of the convertible .drawer is of less length than the side portions to form Va groove or recess 23 between the yfront edge of the bottom portion 22 and the front upturned portion of the lower guide stripf 21 to receive the lower edge portion of the front wall 17 as shown in Fig. 2.

The bolt member 19 extends transversely of the front wall 17 and comprises two slidable fbolt rods 241 having inner angular ends 9.5 which extend outwardly through `elongated slots 2G formed .in the medial portion 27 of the bolt member 19. The medial inember is provided with a coiled spring 28 which is interposed between the inner angular ends yof the bolt rods 24 to hold said bolt rods yieldingly in locking position. .The outer ends 29 of said rods are beveled to provide for the automatic locking of said front wall when the wall is pushed inwardly to closed position. Apertured locking' plates 30 :Eastened to the inner surfaces of the side walls of the trunk section project outwardly therefrom and are engaged by the beveled ends of the bolt rods. Portions of the angular side edge plates 18 are recessed as indicated by the numeral 31 to accommodate the projecting ends of the locking plates 30.

All of the drawers are provided with handles 32 for convenience of the user. y

The drawer 15 is provided with hat pads 33 which are removably fastened to brackets 34 mounted on the front and rear walls of said drawer. When the convertible drawer 14 is in inverted position the pads 33 extend upwardly and partly into said inverted drawer and serve to lock said drawers together and prevent the possible injury to hats within the drawer by pulling the drawers independently to o-pen position. Y

The drawers may 'be independently used in the ordinary manner and when it is desired to combine the space of the two lower drawers the convertible drawer is inverted and the pads of the lower drawer are positioned to lock the two drawers together. Access to the combined space is now had by the front wall or cover of the convertible drawer and when this is unlocked by press- Y ing the angular ends of the bolt rods together it may be removed. When removed hats may be removed through this opening or the lower drawer may be pulled to open position. When the front wall or cover is closed and the pads are in the position both drawers are locked together and can only be pulled outwardly jointly.

From the forego-ing description it will be seen that the convertible drawer is of very simple construction and is well adapted for the purpose desired.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A convertible trunk, comprising a trunk section having a drawer compartment, drawers positioned one a'bove another in said compartment, one of said drawers having an open front and being invertible to form a single space when combined with the drawer beneath, a detachable front wall for said front opening, holding means mounted on the side edge portions of the front wall and which means bears against the front edge portions of the drawers, and means for locking the front wall in closed position.

2. A convertible trunk, comprising a trunk section having a drawer compartment, drawers positioned one above another in said Compartment, one of said drawers having an open front and being linvertible to form a single space when combined with the drawer beneath, a removable front wall for the vfront opening, angular strips mounted on f the side edge portions of the front wall and which strips bear against the front edge portions of the drawers, and locking means carried by the front wall and engaging the opposite sides of the compartment.

3. A convertible trunk, comprising a trunk section having a drawer compartment, drawers positioned one above another in said compartment, one of said drawers having an open front and being invertible to form a single space when combined with the drawer beneath, means for locking the convertible drawer to the drawer beneath when said convertible drawer is in inverted position, a removable front wall for the front opening, angular strips mounted on the side edge portions of the front wall and which strips bear against the front edge portions of the drawers, and locking means carried by the front wall and engaging the opposite sides of the compartment.

4l. A convertible trunk, comprising a trunk section having a drawer compartment,

drawers positioned one above another in said compartment, one of said drawers having an open front and being invertible to form a single space when combined with the drawer beneath, a removable front wall for the front opening, angular strips mounted on the side edge portions of the front wall and which strips bear against the front edge portions of the drawers, a locking means carried by the front wall and engaging the opposite sides of the compartment, and

means for locking the convertible drawer inV inverted position to the drawer beneath, said locking means permitting the independent movement of the drawer beneath the convertible drawer when the front portion Vof said convertible drawer is removed. v

5. A convertible trunk, comprising a trunk section having a drawer compartment, drawers positioned one above another in said compartment, one of said drawers having an open front and being invertible to form a single space when combined with the drawer beneath, a removable front wall for the front opening, angular strips mounted on the side edge portions of the front wall and which strips bear against the front edge portions of the drawers, apertured locking plates mounted on the opposite side walls of the compartment and projecting forwardly therefrom, a locking means carried by the front wall and engaging the locking plates of the opposite sides of the compartment, and means for locking the convertible drawer in inverted position to the drawer beneath, said locking means permitting the independent movement of the drawer beneath the convertible drawer when the front portion of said convertible drawerl is removed.

(3. A drawer for a convertible trunk, comprising a easing having an open top and front portion and a groove provided in its lower front edge portion, a removable front for the open front portion having its lower edge portion entering the groove, angular strips mounted on the opposite side edges of 10 the removable front and which strips bear against the front edges of the opposite sides of the easing, apertured locking plates mounted on the opposite side walls of the container, bolt rods slidably mounted on the removable front and having beveled outer ends which loekingly enter the apertures of the locking plates, said bolt rods having adjacent outwardly projeeting handle portions, and a yielding means for holding the bolt rods in looking position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

